


Child's Play

by haruka



Category: Loveless
Genre: Gen, Loveless - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-02
Updated: 2005-06-02
Packaged: 2017-10-03 18:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haruka/pseuds/haruka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How does Kio handle it when he comes home to find Natsuo and Youji drunk?</p><p>This was the result of a fifteen-minute word challenge that ended up running longer than that.  The challenge word is stated at the end of the ficlet.</p><p>Alternate Universe.  The setting (the little Zeros living with Kio) comes from an RPG that Michiru and I have played.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Child's Play

Child's Play (Loveless)

By Haruka (haruka@ymail.com)

\--

Kio walked into his apartment, balancing a bag of groceries and his sketchpad. "I'm home!" he announced cheerfully, then stopped and stared in dismay.

*Hic* "Hi, Kio!" Natsuo waved, his one good eye looking a little bloodshot. He tipped back the can in his hand for another deep swallow.

"Did you remember to buy cookies?" Youji inquired, adding his own hiccup to Natsuo's, then giggling at the sound of it.

The two twelve-year-olds had gotten into his beer! Kio put down what he held and turned to face them with his hands on his hips. "Just what do you think you're doing? You know you're too young for beer!"

Youji made a face. "Why? It's not like we're going anywhere afterwards, so what's the harm?"

"Besides, you were out of chocolate milk," Natsuo added and picked up another can.

"Put that down!" Kio sprang over and grabbed the can, giving Natsuo a smack on the back of the hand. The boy frowned at his hand, then gave Kio a puzzled look.

The green-haired man didn't see it. He was busy trying to pry Youji's can out of his fingers.

"But I'm not FINISHED!"

"Oh yes, you are!" Kio told him firmly, imagining what kind of payback he might devise for Soubi for saddling him with these two little demons.

Youji got a mischievous look on his face and let go of the can suddenly, causing Kio to pull it back too fast and splash it all over his front. The boys laughed.

"You think this is funny?" Kio said to them grimly. "I'll show you funny." He sat down beside Youji and took him by the arm, yanking him over his lap.

Natsuo jumped up, ready to defend his Sacrifice against the unknown. "What are you doing?!"

Kio moved Youji's long hair and tail out of the way. "I'm giving him a spanking. And don't you go anywhere, Natsuo – you're next!" He raised his hand and brought it down on Youji's backside, then did it again, and again.

Natsuo crouched in front of Youji's head. "You know why he's doing this?" he asked curiously.

The other boy shrugged. "No clue." He glanced over his shoulder, but Kio seemed pretty focused. "Um … hey. You might want to stop before you hurt your own hand."

Kio stopped in mid-whack and looked at the two boys. Youji seemed completely unaffected by the punishment, and Natsuo's expression was quizzical.

"Why aren't you crying and begging for mercy?" he asked Youji suspiciously.

"Is this supposed to hurt or something?"

"YES!"

Natsuo grinned. "We don't feel pain."

Kio studied both of their faces and saw that they were serious. He pushed Youji off his lap.

"Yecch, you got beer on me," Youji complained to Kio as Natsuo helped him up.

"That's because you got it on ME first!" Kio retorted. He ran a hand through his hair and looked at them seriously. "You really can't feel pain? Nothing at all?"

"Nope," Youji replied.

Natsuo agreed. "We were made that way."

Kio remembered something Soubi had said about the little Zero team being a 'creation' of some teacher named Nagisa at the school he'd gone to. He also knew that Soubi had beaten them in battle single-handedly by reducing their body temperatures to the point where they couldn't move, so they weren't invulnerable. Apparently, just resistant to pain.

"It's not always as great as you might think," Youji confessed. "We hurt ourselves a lot without noticing."

"It's a good thing to have in battle," Natsuo remarked. "But kind of weird outside of it. Humans feel pain, but we don't, so I guess … we're not human."

Kio saw sadness in their eyes. He wondered if it was partly the alcohol affecting them, since they didn't usually like to show weakness. Or maybe it was all an act – they could be tricky, these two.

Then he remembered something. "Hey, does this have anything to do with why you tortured Soubi by hammering that nail through his hand?"

"Of course," Natsuo said in surprise. "Don't you think it makes sense that people who can't feel pain would be fascinated by seeing it in others?"

Maybe, Kio thought, but it was still kind of depressing. He hoped that keeping these kids with him, away from that fighter school and any negative influences, that he could give them a semblance of a normal life for twelve-year-olds. Although it appeared that punishing them for mischief would have to mean creative thinking.

Youji stopped suddenly and put a hand over his mouth. "I think I'm gonna be sick!" he cried and ran for the bathroom.

"Youji!" Natsuo called after him, then hesitated, his colour paling several shades. "Me too!" He dashed after his partner.

On the other hand, Kio thought with a private smile, sometimes nature took care of these things on its own.

\--

(Word challenge - Falter)

(2005)

Loveless belongs to Yun Kouga.

This fic is not to be re-posted.


End file.
